Fern is going through this stage where she is CONSTANTLY licking her lips and the area around her mouth. I think it’s probably just a kid thing, because I’ve had other friends mention that their kids did it too, but whenever I ask what they did about it, they sort of just shrug and say something to the effect of their kid just growing out of it over time. OK. I get that. Some things take time, but what does one do for the painful chapped situation on their child’s face in the interim? My child’s poor chin has been red and cracked and peeling and this cold weather has only made the situation worse.
We tried lip balm, but it only exacerbated the situation since she liked the taste and kept licking it off. Total fail. The next step was to try lotion, but by this point her chin and the rest of the area around her mouth was so inflamed and painful. When I tried to put it on she pushed me away saying, “I’m scared Mama! I think it’s gonna hurt!” Try as I might I could not convince her of the merits of slathering on lotion.
This is the part where I’m supposed to say that I came up with a completely ingenious idea that saved the day (and my child’s chapped face), but alas. It didn’t really happen that way. I sort of just gave up and figured that eventually it would heal and maybe she would “grow out of it” like everyone else’s kids seemed to do.
Well, you can imagine how that went with all the non-healing that happened (insert eye rolling emoji here). Thankfully the day was saved via the brilliant idea of a company I was invited to work with – NIVEA. It was just a coincidence, but it worked out so perfectly! We were sent these cute, little NIVEA Fairytale Creme tins to try out and of course Fern was instantly smitten. The sweet illustrations on the tins were step one toward winning her heart, but then she discovered that there were actual stories that coincided with the images on the tins and she was a super fan.
The illustrations on the NIVEA Fairytale Tins are inspired by a series of short children’s stories written by author Udo Weigelt. There are five original stories that follow the adventures of a little girl named Miriam, her big brother Laith, his stuffed rabbit and their little fairy friend Mimi. The interactive stories are so much fun for kids to read and the illustrations by Joelle Tourlonias are absolutely lovely and Fern loved every bit of them. Throughout the stories, a little bit of creme is applied to the noses of the characters for various reasons – to help a sore, sick nose, to protect their noses from the cold, or simply for a good dose of magic or added courage.
After reading the stories I asked Fern if she wanted to try to “put on some courage cream” just like Laith so she could be brave while I rubbed it on her chin. She happily agreed and let me apply it without a hitch.
The fact that the creme now somehow possesses magical properties in her mind has made it infinitely better than regular old moisturizer and she excitedly requests magic creme throughout the day now and thankfully her sad, little chin is finally healing. And never one to be left out of the fun, now little brother Clive is requesting to get in on the fun with little dabs of creme for himself. It’s great that it’s a product perfect for our whole family. I actually want to slather is all over myself all the time, because the smell is so completely lovely and reminds me of a newborn baby. Maybe that’s a little odd, but it’s true. It’s also the perfect size (and price – right around $1!) for tossing in my bag or in the pocket of all of our jackets to combat this cold, dry weather.
You can find these limited edition NIVEA Creme Fairytale Tins at Rite-Aid and Target throughout this holiday season and you can find the accompanying fairytales here. Maybe it will help provide a little bit of comfort and relief for you and your little ones during this chilly winter season!
Love and non-chapped faces,
Lauren (& Fern!)
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by NIVEA through their partnership with Big City Moms. While I was compensated to write a post about NIVEA Fairy Tale Creme tins, all opinions are my own.
I actually have been a lover of these little tins for years! They’re so cheap and easy to stash one in the car, one in your purse, etc.